Southern California -- this just in

A former Crips gang member, who police said transformed himself by working to steer others away from lives of violence, was fatally shot after he confronted a tagger in Mid-Wilshire, Los Angeles police said Monday.

Ronald Lamonte Barron, 40, was leaving the Cottage Bar in the 5000 block of West Pico Boulevard about 9 p.m. Sunday with his girlfriend when he noticed a tagger applying graffiti to a nearby wall, police said.

Barron confronted the tagger, who pulled out a pistol and fired once, hitting Barron in the chest.

Barron had once been a Mansfield Crips gang member but had made a successful transition to gang outreach and intervention work, authorities said. Barron continued to use his former gang name, "Looney" and worked for Amer-I-Can, a gang-intervention program founded by Football Hall of Fame member Jim Brown. Barron was known for his gang outreach work in the L.A. County jails.